The Gemini Divergence (4 page)

The general’s subordinates cowered at his
outburst, but secretly, behind the dramatic façade that Lemay
portrayed, he was extremely concerned that the Nazis had introduced
yet another wonder weapon, but he didn’t want to display any alarm
in front of his commanders.

~~~**^**~~~

The
Big War / The Inquisitive RAF Clerk

In a British war room, there was a steady
flow of clerks in RAF uniforms bringing updates on small notes to
the clerks attending a map table. As they get each update they add
or remove figurines with their special rake like poles. It appeared
as though they were playing a large chess game while officers in
the balcony above watched over it all.

Through the double doors on the main floor
there was a large room with a small sea of desks. The drone of
typewriters clicking and phones ringing was almost deafening.

At one desk sat a very dutiful and diligent
clerk going over numbers again and again. Checking and then double
checking and then just sitting there, staring off into space,
nervously tapping his pencil on the desk. He sat his chin on his
other hand, in a thinking position.

An RAF sergeant walked up behind him and
said, “Something baffling you today… again?”

The clerk turned to look at who was talking
to him. As he recognized the man he turned and pointed to his
research and shared, “It is very mysterious to me why the Germans
are reporting such high losses with their sub-mariners. I mean,
they should be high losses, as we are working very diligently on
defeating them, but we are using the same anti sub technology and
strategies on all of the Axis powers. Shouldn’t the numbers be more
in line with the other Axis powers? I keep plugging in the number
of vessels with the engagements and it just seems impossible. Am I
doing something wrong? I would hate to report these numbers and
have the high command laugh at me.”

The sergeant snickered as he picked up the
top paper and took a closer look. He sneered back at the clerk,
“Don’t try to put to much logic into this. Just report the numbers
as you receive them. Leave it up to the brass to apply the logic…
Anyway, who cares if the Jerries are horrid seamen? That will just
bring an end to this mess much faster. Who cares if their whole
damn Navy disappeared? I doubt anyone else, anywhere, notices
this.”

~~~**^**~~~

The Big War /
The Axis Clerk

In a German Army bunker with a very large
semi transparent map on the wall, a clerk was very perplexed at a
report that he was reading.

He looked up at the map painted on a very
large piece of glass with clerks behind it reporting the ever
changing action with colored lights that shined through the painted
glass.

He rose to his feet, still looking through
the multipage document and moved over to his supervisor’s desk, “I
am sorry Mein Herr, but I have found something that just does not
seem correct.”

The sergeant looked up, still holding onto
the document that he was reading and queried, “What is it that you
have found?”

The clerk held out the report while stating,
“These numbers can not be correct… We can not be losing submariners
at this much higher of a rate than the Italians or the Japanese…
Could we be getting some reports twice or is someone mistyping or
reading the enigma communiqués incorrectly?”

The sergeant took the report and quickly read
it, then put it down on his desk and began winding his phone. He
picked up the receiver and the mouthpiece and spoke. “Give me the
Kriegsmariner reporting officer.”

He picked back up the report and thumbed
through it for a few seconds as he waited for a response. “Yes
hello. I have a copy of the last losses report that you have
submitted. One of my clerks may have caught a clerical error. It
seems that the submariner losses do not seem to be inline with
calculated losses.”

He listened for a few moments then got a
puzzled look in his eyes and responded, “Yes sir, I see, yes sir, I
will inquire no more. Thank you, yes sir, I understand. Sorry to
bother you. Heil Hitler.”

The Sergeant looked up at the clerk as he
hung up the phone with one hand and handed the report back with the
other and said. “This report is not from the Kriegsmarine. It is
directly from the Führer’s Staff. The status officer has been
ordered to report these numbers, and is not to be questioned
anymore.”

The clerk’s jaw dropped in horror.

In an instant he realized that he must react
differently, so he snapped to attention, threw his arm out in
salute and yelled. “Jawohl Mein Herr. Heil Hitler”.

The clerk snapped around and marched back to
his desk as the sergeant, not even getting up, barely raised his
hand and said, “Ja, Heil.”

The clerk was very bewildered as he walked
back to his desk.
Why would the Führer’s staff give out
inaccurate numbers to people that are just going to report those
numbers back to them
?

Well, unbeknownst to anyone outside of the
Führer’s staff, the reports were meant to be read when the allies
captured Germany and were pouring over captured paper work; thus,
leading them away from the Führer’s ultra secret escape plan at
Riese.

~~~**^**~~~

The Big War / The
Purge

Schwerig was standing on the side of an
industrial drive with some papers laid out on the hood of his staff
car going over some things with some of his subordinate
officers.

On the drive around him there were several
trucks full of men, waiting for the order to go into an industrial
complex that they were waiting outside of.

The air was filled with the sound of industry
and a train that was slowly approaching. The train’s tracks were
just on the other side of Schwerig; between the drive and the row
of factories.

It was a gorgeous day and though the snow
still lay on the ground, the clouds had cleared way for a beautiful
blue sky.

Stark was a few paces away, towards the
factory, chatting with a few corporals about the task that they
were about to engage.

The train crawled past the group as an
engineer jumped off of the slowly moving locomotive and wrenched
his whole body in a manner to muster the force to throw a lever
that diverted the train onto a track heading directly into the
factory in front of them.

The engineer then swiftly re-boarded the
train and walked down a walkway into the engineer’s cabin as the
train was still creeping slowly by.

After the entire train entered the factory
grounds, one of the corporals broke away from Stark and briskly
walked over to Schwerig and snapped to attention.

As Schwerig heard the corporal’s boots snap
at the heels, he turned to face him as the corporal reported in a
military fashion. “Major Schwerig sir, the train has arrived.”

Schwerig snickered and turned his head
slightly towards his subordinate officers with an expression that
alleged ’can you believe this guy’.

He then turned back to the corporal and
sneered, “Corporal, I am very aware of what a train looks and
sounds like, and further, I am aware that some officers adore
sycophantic Unteroffizieren… I do not.”

Schwerig then looked at his watch and nodded
once to Sgt. Stark as he started up the drive towards the plant,
walking in a very brisk and destined manor. Without turning he
barked, “Bring your men now corporal.”

The instant after he got the nod, Sgt. Stark
started yelling like a drill sergeant towards the waiting men and
the trucks started emptying.

*~*

In the front reception area of the factory, a
young receptionist was typing away when Major Schwerig walked
in.

The receptionist stopped typing and turned to
Schwerig saying, “Can I help you Herr Major?”

Standing tall before the desk, he was at
first silent as he removed his gloves and stuck them into his
pockets.

Then he turned to see the men coming in
behind him and began talking to her, even though he was no longer
looking at her, “I have been sent by General Von Sterbenbach to
immediately address your management staff.”

He turned his head back and looked directly
at her, “Are they all in attendance today?”

The receptionist was a little baffled and
stunned. She replied, “Uh, well, yes they are in, but, they are in
a meeting and are not to be disturbed, Herr Major.”

At that Schwerig just smiled while he tipped
his hat and clicked his heals, as if to cordially say I understand,
but then he just started walking around her desk through the door
behind her.

Sgt. Stark was close behind him. As he
dutifully followed Schwerig, he turned to his men and pointed
sternly toward the ground behind himself as he snapped his fingers,
indicating that they were to immediately follow behind him.

The receptionist stood and started to follow
as she stated in a panic, “Wait a minute Herr Major. I am not
allowed…”

At that one of the soldiers that was
following Schwerig in single file, stepped out of line, directly in
front of the receptionist and held out his gun with both hands like
a barricade to block her further movement. He said nothing.

She understood completely, but still didn’t
know what to do. She started back towards her chair but then turned
back around.

While respecting the guard’s space, she
tried to look past him through the door, to see what was going
on.

Schwerig had never been in this office before
but he walked as dutifully and directly as though he knew exactly
where he was going.

Actually he was figuring that like most
offices, the management would have offices at the rear of the main
business area.

He sighted his goal when he saw what looked
like upper management in a conference room, through a door that was
partially open.

As he advanced he could see that his
approach had been detected because the meeting speaker had stopped
talking and started staring at his approach.

Others in the room noticed the speaker
looking at something and slowly, their heads turned, one by one, to
see Schwerig walk into the room.

An older man sitting at the table rose and
asked, “What is the meaning of this interruption Herr Major?”

Schwerig stopped suddenly standing straight
with his hands cupped behind him and turned his head towards the
old man, eying him up and down and then assumed, “Ah and you would
be Herr Baumgaertner, the owner of this machinenwerk.”

Schwerig recognized him from a photo in his
orders package.

“I am indeed”, He proclaimed proudly. “And
again I will ask you to please state your business here today.”